


Promise

by jellham



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/M, New On AO3, russian author
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:06:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellham/pseuds/jellham
Summary: There was this one promise Hermione held close to her heart, one promise she would never break, no matter what it costs her.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [booterbroadeeck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/booterbroadeeck/gifts).



“It’s been five years, Hermione. Why don’t you let go?”

Hermione smiled bitterly. Ron would never understand what she was going through. Nobody but George would. 

“Ronald, I understand your… feelings. But I can’t be your wife. Ever. I promised myself to Fred, and you know that.”  
“He is dead, Hermione. He is dead! Long gone! You have to understand that with that smart head of yours!” 

Hermione’s smile faded away, living just bitterness on her still pretty and young face. 

She really did promise herself to Fred. Back when she was in her second year, he was keeping her company, after she “woke up” after the Basilisk attack. He would come and make her laugh every time, back when she really wanted to cry from feeling powerless and hopeless since she couldn’t help enough. 

She felt such a strong connection to him that she couldn’t resist wanting to do something in return. And, being only twelve, and a little dazed, she told him that she will marry him, when they grow up. Fred laughed but it wasn’t a bully kind of laugh - it was kind and soft. He said that it’s an honor for him and he promised to marry her when they grow up. Somehow, it suddenly felt a little serious. Hermione will never forget how the rays of sun were shining on his hair and face, and how the air felt like a thousand electrical sparks when he bent down to give her a forehead kiss before he left. 

Something changed that day. Hermione stepped on the pathway of growing up - and fell in love for the first time in her life.

Fred seemed to forget the promise he gave Hermione. He even had a girlfriend. It didn’t hurt Hermione all that much - who would remember a promise given to a twelve-year-old girl? Maybe her parents, but not a handsome and popular boy. And that’s how Hermione perceived Fred - as handsome and popular. She never asked anyone for confirmation of that information - it was just something she knew.

She lived with her silent love for him for years. Sometimes they would spend time together and that would be the happiest time in her life. She would gather these moments in her memories specifically to use them for patronuses. It wasn’t just because of love though. He would always find a way to make her smile and feel softer, even when the terrible things started to happen. Back when they were on the run from Death Eaters she would listen to him and George on the radio and would thank Merlin for every episode of their little program, since it meant that they are still safe and sound. 

But then they met again. It was even more emotional than Hermione imagined - mostly because Fred cried. She never saw him cry before, but there he was, standing in front of her, crying his eyes out from happiness. 

“Fre- Fred, are you alright?”  
“I’m better than alright! I’ve never been happier, Hermione. Knowing that you’re safe and here and I can hold you in my arms… I am truly the happiest man to be alive”  
“Fred… I am incredibly happy too!”

Fred pulled Hermione towards himself, locking her in a warm embrace. For a short while they stayed silent. 

“Do you remember” Fred finally broke the silence “What you promised to me five years ago?”  
“I do” Hermione answered, starting to blush “And I never break my promises”  
“Neither do I, Miss Granger. When the time of peace comes we should really go out on a date. It would’ve been bad if we got married without ever going on a date”

Hermione smiled and kissed Fred on the cheek awkwardly. They were standing together for a little while, making it clear for everybody around that there was something going between them, until George came and asked Fred to go with him. Probably to record another episode of their radio show. 

That was the last time Hermione saw Fred alive. 

She remembers vividly her feelings, when she saw him lying on the floor, dead as a human can only be, but not the scene itself. It’s like her mind tried to erase this moment from her memories. She read in a book that that is how the brain deals with shocking events that might damage it’s person’s psyche. Hermione still couldn’t manage to get this memory to work properly - maybe because she didn’t really want to. 

And now five years later she is an Auror, just like Harry and Ron. She also helps George with his little shop that was no longer held by two twins, but by him and his wife Angelina. They seemed to be happy together, but neither George nor Hermione couldn’t make a patronus anymore. 

Who knew that this is how she will meet her demise? 

Not all Death Eaters were caught and sent to Azkaban after the War. Some of them still lurked around with stray Dementors as their guardians. It was on Aurors to catch them and send them where they belonged. Usually Hermione worked in pair with someone who could make a patronus, but this time she and her partner got separated. And she got caught. 

When the soul is being sucked out of you it is way worse than Crucio, so Hermione was even happy when the dementor backed away to make way for it’s master who started torturing Hermione. Finally, understanding that Hermione would never crack under pressure, with a nervous voice, the Death Eater yelled.

“Avada Kedavra!”

And that was it. Hermione looked at the sky for the last time and remembered the warmth of Fred’s embrace. 

“Wait for me, I’m coming” sounded in her head like a song.

And then there was the great big Nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> "Wait for me I'm coming" is a reference to Hadestown


End file.
